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THE USE OF HESSIAN OR BIDUM
The use of hessian or bidum as an aid in the maintenance and preparation of cricket pitches deserves special mention. In the warm,
dry, and often windy conditions experienced in the
South African summers, hessian or bidum is an
essential item in the grounds man's kit.
(i) During pitch preparation : Where it is necessary for the
roller to be used to prepare, for play, a pitch which is wetter than
optimum, there is a danger of the roller picking up the bulli and so
spoiling the pitch surface. Such damage can be avoided by laying a hessian
cover over the pitch and rolling first with a light roller. In so doing,
excess moisture is absorbed by the hessian and the pitch is protected. Light
rolling for a short period assists in bringing the pitch surface to a
suitable state for a heavy roller to be used. Hessian can, with advantage,
also be used when the first rollings are given with a heavy roller. If the
pitch is very wet, and unfit for rolling, hessian or bidum can be used to
mop up excess moisture and any pools of water. Special importance is
attached to the use of hessian or bidum in the preparation of practice nets,
where the practice pitches have to be prepared three or four times a week
with copious watering after each period of
use.
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(ii) To preserve moisture in the pitch It is
considered an advantage that at the start of play the prepared pitch should
contain some moisture rather than be too dry. In our climate, and specially
on hot, windy days, bulli dries out very rapidly. The drying process can be
retarded by ensuring that the work of the heavy roller is stopped just
before the pitch is too dry, that is, before the colour of the
bulli changes from black to gray. If the rolled pitch is then covered with
hessian, the final stages of drying out will be retarded so that the pitch
is in prime condition at the start of play.
(iii) In pitch maintenance: Apart from the fact
that the turf cover on cricket pitches is expected to survive the harsh
treatment of constant close cutting with a mower, and the
bruising effects of rolling, the natural ability of the grass to grow is still further hindered by the long periods that the pitch
is dried out. Pitch soil, being black in colour, absorbs heat and becomes so
hot that new growth of grass tends to be
scorched. In addition, there is the pounding effect of the cricket ball and
the effect of sharp studs now in common use on boots. It is indeed
remarkable that the grass cover of a turf pitch
can possibly survive such rough treatment, and it is not surprising that,
from time to time, bare patches tend to develop, apart from those areas
which are torn up by footmarks of the players.
It is in the treatment of worn areas that the grounds man can look to hessian or bidum to help. By
laying hessian or bidum over the worn areas of a pitch, soil moisture, so
vital to allow for the recovery of the grass, can be maintained without any
danger of stress arising from the soil becoming too dry. Secondly, the
pitch soil is kept cool and protected from the wind and hot
sun, thus giving optimum conditions for the grass to survive.
Sufficient light for growth gets through the hessian.
Thus, with a good soil moisture level, cool temeperatures, protection from wind and very hot sun, and sufficient light,
there is set up an environment for growth which is
of the utmost value in preserving the turf cover of the pitch.
The use of hessian or bidum for these purposes
has been tested many times, and almost invariably with remarkably successful
results. Even in cases where the grass seems to
have been permanently destroyed, the hessian treatment has allowed for
renewal of root growth and the re-appearance of the
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